In an uneasy moment between the Bluewater Council and the community of Bayfield, the decision on whether to remove the ice from the local arena came to a head last week.

At the Council meeting in Varna, the room was packed with concerned citizens and avid users of the Bayfield Complex, to support the BACPA (Bayfield Arena Complex Partnership Association) in their presentation to Council.

Ron Keys of the BACPA began his presentation addressing the financial concerns that were listed in the report made by the Council.

“Low usage has always been expressed as a concern and it’s one that we have been keeping careful records of and using what data has been forwarded to us from the Municipality. The charts show the break down of usage in the entire facility: the 2016 ice is 79.2 percent of all activity in the building; the hall is 13.7 percent; the ice pad without ice is 7.1 percent,” Keys stated.

“I’m wondering how Bluewater can even consider taking out its largest tenant.”

According to the BACPA who have always promoted a multi-purpose, multi-generational facility, the ice usage increased to a total of 661 hours in 2016 and the revenue increased as well.

“For the 2016 revenue in the building, ice revenue was $62, 118. The hall revenue was $10, 756 and the pad without ice was $5, 595 for total revenue of $78, 469. This happens to be up from 2013, which was total revenue of $26, 119. That’s an increase of $52, 000,” added Keys.

The BACPA presented passionately, stating figures, facts and emotional stories, in order to fight for the ice to remain in the Bayfield Arena. The BACPA have a goal that the ice remain in for at least the next three ice seasons, in which, during that time, a plan on how to better the deficit and the facility would come to fruition.

Several Councillors spoke up and presented their opinions on the topic, with the majority of those voices speaking in opposition to BACPA based off of financial concerns and acting on what they believe is for the best for the community.

It appeared only one Councillor was in favour for keeping the ice in at the Bayfield Arena for the next three ice seasons and he came prepared to fight.

Councillor Bill Whetstone did his research and brought forth figures and information that opposed the report made by Bluewater Staff.

“We do need to base information off facts. At the last meeting there were comments that I challenged regarding items reported as required or necessary in order for the ice to be a part of the facility for the next three years. Page 107 of the report states, ‘does not meet Hockey Canada standards.’ As I stated previously, this is not correct,” Whetstone stated.

Whetstone had several documents, which were offered up for submission to the Bluewater Staff, including one from Todd Jackson, Director and Insurance Risk Management of Hockey Canada. That particular document stated that recommendations around facilities in the rulebook are only recommendations and not requirements.

For instance, for the facility to be passed under Hockey Canada standards, the boards, glass and netting must assist in the prevention of pucks going into spectator areas, and according to Whetstone the arena has the proper functioning equipment to do that.

“If we are talking costs, there’s $120, 000 that can now come off of the report because it is not required in order to have ice for the next three years,” added Whetstone.

Whetstone also made comments on the Bluewater Staff’s decision to have the arena accessed by Cimco Refigeration instead of with Black and McDonald, who had serviced and maintained the facility for the past 30 years.

“Why would we go to somebody that doesn’t know our facility what so ever? It made no sense to me. So, as a resident, I reached out to Black and Mac and I sent the report. They have come back and you will be shocked: their total costs for the next three years is $9, 000 in order to keep our facility running,” Whetstone said.

The BACPA is not the only committee working hard to bring more revenue into the facility and to fight for the ice to remain. BFIT, or the Bayfield Initiative Team is a committee made up of members from all service clubs.

“If you think of the hard work that the BACPA have put into the arena, I could have said in there, ‘what were the hours of ice before BACPA took over?’ If they just gave them a chance for a couple more years, BACPA could still bring that money up and perhaps bridge the gap of revenue, while working for BFIT in the interim,” stated Sandy Scotchmer of BFIT.

“The community is very emotional about it and don’t want to see it gone. If we lost this opportunity [to keep the ice], it’s never going to come back.”

According to BACPA and BFIT, prior to the Council meeting and during the meeting, Bluewater Council had not provided any explanation as to why the ice will be removed, only that there remains to be a deficit, despite an increase of usage and revenue.

The result of the Council meeting was a majority vote to go ahead with the plan to remove the ice from the Bayfield Arena in 2018.

Mayor Hessel spoke on behalf of the Council and Staff, and added, “Unfortunately we have to ask ourselves if that is the right investment of this building at this time. From our perspective, we had to look at the big picture, and it’s not an easy decision. It was a very hard decision for Council and it’s a very emotional one, but if we look at the facts, the facts direct us to the decision in which we made.”

Bluewater currently has three ice facilities for a population of just under 7, 500 people and according to Bluewater Council, they want to make sure they are maximizing what their usages are.

According to Hessel, within this last year of ice at the Bayfield Arena, Council and Staff will conduct a recreational feasibility study for all of Bluewater and make recommendations. Hessel added, “maybe we are on the right path, maybe we aren’t. Maybe we need something completely different.”

In opposition, according to Scotchmer, BFIT refuses to accept this as the final act and is planning a meeting for September 14 to re-group and discuss possibly options to fight the decision to remove the ice from the facility.

BFIT is inviting Councillors, media and members of the community to the meeting, as all voices matter in this issue.